With reference to FIG. 35, FIG. 36, FIG. 37, FIG. 38, and FIG. 39, a conventional connector for animal will be described below. In FIG. 35, shown is a state in which a leash 190 is joined to a collar 110 via a conventional connector 100. As shown in FIG. 36, the connector 100 includes a snap hook portion 104 constructed to be detachably connectable to a ring 108 fixed at the collar 110 (FIG. 35), and a connection ring 103 formed in a D character like shape to be engaged with the leash 190. The snap hook portion 104 is integrally formed with a hook portion 111 formed in a C character like shape and a stem portion 112. In the stem portion 112, a major diameter portion 116, a minor diameter portion 117, and a major diameter portion 115 are successively formed in an order from one end of the stem opposed to the hook portion 111 toward the hook portion 111. The connection ring 103 is provided with a through hole 114a formed in one line (straight portion) of D character shape. The connection ring 103 is rotatably engaged to the stem portion 112 (hook portion 111) in a manner such that the major diameter portion 116 and the major diameter portion 115 pinch one line (straight portion) of the connection ring 103.
Along a stem direction Ds, formed in the stem portion 112 is a bottomed hole 122 having an opening 121 disposed in an end face 112a near the hook portion 111. In the stem portion 112, along the stem direction Ds, formed is a guide groove 123. A coil spring 124 and a slide bar 125 slidable along the stem direction Ds are inserted in order in the hole 122 such that the coil spring 124 is compressed by the slide bar 125. The expansion force of the compressed coil spring 124 biases the slide bar 125 so that an apical surface of the slide bar 125 abuts on an apical surface 111a of the hook portion 111. The slide bar 125 is provided with a convexly shaped grip portion 126 integrally formed therewith, and is installed such that the grip portion 126 juts out from the hole 122 through the guide groove 123.
In the connector 100, the apical surface of the slide bar 125 is separated from the apical surface 111a of the hook portion 111 by sliding the grip portion 126 temporarily toward the connection ring 103, causing a gap therebetween. The grip portion 126 is an operation member used for making the slide bar 125 slide. In this sense, the grip portion 126 is referred to as an “operation member 126”.
In a state in which the gap is formed, the ring 108 and the hook portion 111 (the snap hook portion 104) can be joined by catching the hook portion 111 on the ring 108 of the collar 110 (FIG. 35). Thereafter, the apical surface of the slide bar 125 is allowed to abut on the apical surface 111a of the hook portion 111 again to close the hook portion 111 by the slide bar 125.
The conventional connector 100, as mentioned in the above, is constructed so that the slide bar 125 works to close the hook portion 111 (snap hook) when joined to the other object. As long as the slide bar works normally, the joining condition is kept safety. However, the joining may be lost accidentally depending on the usage condition.
For example, the snap hook portion 104 may be accidentally detached from the ring 108 when an animal (dog a) is frightened or attracted by something while the animal is being led or held. Such an unexpected detachment results from abnormal actions of the animal. Specifically, the abnormal actions of the animal may induce a state in which the ring 108 of the collar 110 will press and move the operation member 126 of the hook portion 111. When the animal moves irregularly, the slide bar 125 (the operation member 126) may be moved back from the close position to the open position. Then, an opening portion of the snap hook portion 104 will be opened against a user's intention, releasing the ring 108 therefrom.
In FIG. 37, shown is one example of the connectors for animal which aim to prevent the slide bar from moving back against the user's intention, proposed by Patent Literature 1. A connector 200 has a construction basically similar to that of the connector 100 shown in FIG. 36, except that a stopper mechanism is added for preventing the slide bar 125 from moving back. Hereinafter, mainly described is the stopper mechanism particular to the connector 200. The same reference symbols are assigned to the parts having basically the same functions as those of parts of the connector 100 and the descriptions of those are omitted.
The stopper mechanism is composed of a stopper 6 and a wire rope 23. The wire rope 23 is attached to the stopper 6. The wire rope 23 is passed through the hook portion 111 of the connector 200, causing that the stopper 6 and the snap hook portion 104 are connected. The stopper 6 is made of an elastic material so as to be detachable/attachable opening 6a formed in a major arc cross section segment and to be attachable to and detachable from the stem portion 112 through the side thereof. The stopper 6 accepts the stem portion 112 through the opening 6a by being elastically widened and then is attached to the stem portion 112. In this attached state, the stopper 6 extends between the operation member 126 and a catch portion 3a of the connection ring 103 and prevents the slide bar 125 from moving back via the operation member 126. Thus, the opening portion of the snap hook portion 104 is prevented from being open against the user's intention, and then ring 108 (FIG. 35) is also prevented from removing therethrough.
Removal of the ring 108 from the connector 200 (snap hook portion 104) following the user's intention is achieved by detaching the stopper 6 from the stem portion 112 while being elastically opened again. The connection of the removed stopper 6 to the connector 200 (hook portion 111) is kept by the wire rope 23, and is prevented from being lost. In this state, the user can move the operation member 126 (slide bar 125) backward to open the snap hook portion 104.
Shown in FIGS. 38 and 39, other examples of the connectors for animal which aim to prevent the slide bar from moving back against the user's intention, proposed by Patent Literature 2. A connector 202 shown in FIG. 38 has a construction similar to that of the connector 200 (FIG. 37), except that the stopper 6 is replaced with a lock member 12 and a connection band 21 is added. The lock member has a construction basically similar to that of the stopper 6, except that no construction for attaching the wire rope 23 thereto is provided.
The lock member 12 has the connection band 21 extending from one side of a separation portion 11 so as to overlap the outer surface of the lock member 12 by being wound around the stem portion 112 over another side 11b of the separation portion 11a, and is provided with an engaging/disengaging member which fix the connection band 21 and the lock member 12 overlapped each other. Thus, widening of the separation portion 11 is prevented even if a detaching force is applied to the lock member 12 which is locked, and removal of the lock member 12 as well as unlocking of the operation member 7 against the user's intention is prevented.
In a connector 204 shown in FIG. 39, the lock member 12 is constructed with a body 26 and an opening/closing member 24. The opening/closing member 24 has a separation portion for releasing 25 provided in a portion in a circumferential direction. The separation portion for releasing 25 is separated to right and left so as to open in the same circumferential position with the separation portion 11 of the body 26. The separation portion for releasing 25 is fitted in the body 26 and is moved in the circumferential direction from the separation portion 11 of the body 26, closing the separation portion 11 of the body 26. Thus, widening of the separation portion 11 is prevented even if a detaching force is applied to the lock member 12 which is locked, and removal of the lock member 12 as well as unlocking of the operation member 7 against the user's intention is prevented.